Brown is generally a descriptive surname (nickname) referring to the color of the individual's complexion, color of hair, or garments, from the Middle English br(o)un, from Old English or Old French brun, meaning "brown." As a Scottish or Irish name, Brown may also be a translation of the Gaelic donn for "brown." Brown is the 6th most popular surname in the United States and the 5th most common in England. The variant surname, Browne, is also found frequently in England and Ireland. Notable bearers of the surname Brown include George Brown, a Scottish arithmetician, and inventor of two incomplete mechanical calculating machines now kept at the National Museum of Scotland. In 1698 he was granted a patent for his mechanical calculating device. George Brown was born in 1650 and died in 1730.